The Cunning, Brave, and Accepting Hufflepuff
by HiddenYori
Summary: When Harry was sorted into Hufflepuff with two childhood friends (Neville and Snape's Daughter), no one knew what would happen. Watch as they go through their first year and hopefully not last year at Hogwarts. Cedric and Percy are supporting characters to their adventures, except when Percy's a Prat then he's a target for n Snape deal with his love potion induced daughter
1. Chapter 1

Don't own Harry Potter!

It was a scream that jarred Hymn Cassidy out of bed, during the early morning hours, of July 31 1991. After blinking a few times to focus her vision to the dim morning light, the girl noted Neville sitting up in the makeshift bed on the floor beside her.

Her fingers traced the wall for a lightswitch only to squint her eyes once she'd managed to turn it on. Though she did seem to fare better than Neville, who was practically blinded when the light was turned on and would continue seeing spots for an hour.

Carefully, Hymn crawled on her hands and knees to a window where she could watch the quiet street in Surrey without being seen. Neville tentatively followed his friend's lead and looked out the window.

The Dursley's car -an ugly purple Vauxhall Chevette- came to a stop in front of 4 Privet Drive. The two watched as Dudley ran into the two story house, covering his bottom protectively as a bright red blush spread across his face.

Vernon and Petunia (who will probably go down in history as the only adults Neville refused to call 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.') quickly followed their son's lead and locked themselves within the house.

"That's weird, what do you think they've done with Harry?"

Hymn made eye contact with Neville, and the eleven year old boy was suddenly consumed by a feeling of apprehension. It wasn't unusual for Neville or sometime Harry, to become overwhelmed by whatever emotion Hymn might be feeling when she looked into their eyes.

That was the only way she could truly communicates with them, the only way she has ever communicated with anyone. While she could write (rather sloppily), it was rather annoying to carry around a pen and paper everywhere. So when she needed to, she could look someone deep in the eyes and convey her feelings.

Harry and Neville didn't mind and accepted their friends silence and ability easily. Just like how the girl accepted their abilities to speak to snakes and revive plants respectively. Though none of them found it that weird honestly, they were wizards and a witch.

Neville and Hymn came from magical families, so accidental magic wasn't something all that strange to them. It was after Harry set Dudley on fire at the age of seven that their pair explained it their friend.

They told him everything they knew, from what happen to his parents to where they'd one day be going to school.

"Hymn Cassidy! I want you at the table for breakfast in the next hour or I won't be sending you off to that bloody school with your father!"

Hymn couldn't help but roll her eyes, while Neville jumps, at the shrill voice that came from somewhere within the house.

~~Line Break

Aunt Justice was a strict but fair (for the most part) women. She had greying platinum blond hair that was permanently pulled into a tight french braid. Today was not an exception as she hurried around the kitchen in a dark red cloak.

Pots and Pans flew all around the room, before two large plates of black raspberry pancakes were dropped in front of Neville and Hymn. Both plates had a face of fruite decorating the top along with matching red candles.

It was Augusta Longbottom, Neville's grandmother, who light the candles with the tip of her wand.

"We'll be going shopping in an hour, so I do hope you two find the time to look presentable." Augusta looked down her nose at the two eleven year old. "First impressions can sometimes be the difference between life and death."

If Hymn didn't know better, and she did, she might have rolled her eyes at the grey pureblood for being so dramatic. The only thing stopping her, was the fact if (and she would) Aunt Justice saw her she'd be smacked upside the head with a wooden spoon.

Neville followed a similar train of thought, though he was less worried about Aunt Justice hitting him with a spoon, finding his grandmother's excenticisity annoying. Augusta was a very traditional women and that often clashed with Neville's desire to find his own way. He wasn't very interested in arranged marriages, or even traditional marriages (though when ever he said this Hymn would smugly smirk to herself).

"I've laid out the wash from last night's...accident if you need something from it." Aunt Justice explained, sharply glaring at Neville for a brief second before looking Hymn in the eyes. "Your father owled, it seems he won't be about to come shopping with you but has left money for you in an account. Seeing how Neville and you will be leaving for school, Augusta and I don't see a point in following you around all day so you'll be shopping by yourselves."

Saying Hymn was disappointed was an understatement, she didn't even have to look at Neville for him to know you upset she was. In the last six years she's spent maybe an hour with her father, and despite religiously sending letters once a week to him he rarely found time to writes back.

Finishing their food quickly the two went off to get ready, both praying that they'd find Harry (and he was okay) while they we're shopping. The three of them had been dreaming of they day they'd be able to get wands and hope the train to Hogwarts.

~~Line Break (In which Hymn is mistaken as a boy)

Hagrid hadn't been paying much attention before a flash of brown tackled Harry to the ground. They'd just left Gringotts, having picked up money for school supplies from Harry's volt and the package Dumbledore had requested.

Once he focused he noticed two children around Harry's age, one he knew was the son of Alice and Frank Longbottom.

Neville. if he remembered the name correctly, was a short and pudgy young man in a oversized blue button up with brown hair. He looked faintly like his father at his age, but not as much as Harry who was almost the spitting image of his father.

The other kid was the tallest of the three, but very lanky looking with greasy raven black hair pulled back. He didn't talk as Neville and Harry filled each other on about their day, instead he stood slightly off to the side with a knowing smirk.

It wasn't till Hagrid's eyes meet a pair him pair of pale lavender, that the half giant felt a welcoming aura englof him.

"Hagrid! These are my best mates Neville Longbottom and Hymn Cassidy. Today is each of ours eleventh birthdays. I'd been planning to go shopping with them, do you mind if they come with us?" Harry asked eagerly.

"I don't see why not!" Hagrid laughed, startling a few passersby with its volume. "You two can call me Hagrid, I work at Hogwarts."

"That's so cool, maybe you know Hymns father. He's a teacher there, Potions right?" Neville turned to Hymn who only nodded softly. "Severus Snape."

Hagrid almost fell over from trying to look at Hymn again, he didn't know that Severus (and he doubted anyone did) had a son. Though when he looked again he could see a resemblance, almost all their features matched except the nose and eyes. Hymn's nose was much more button like and eyes a beautiful unique warm color of lavender.

"That must be nice." Soon Hagrid fell into step with Hymn as Neville and Harry talked about school houses and classes. Though the silence that sat between the half-giant and Hymn wasn't awkward but help a comfortable understanding.

Two hours later the four had almost finished all the shopping uneventfully, excluding a funny moment when Hagrid realized Hymn was a witch not a wizard. Though Hymn quickly brushed it off after a cup of tea at Rose Lee Teabags and a hysterical apology.

As the day went their was a slow of people walking on the cobble stone street around them. The three had gotten everything on their list, plus a bit extra.

Harry had gotten a beautiful Snow Owl from Hagrid, some books on quidditch from Neville, and extra potion ingredients (and quills) that Hymn had felt he'd probably need at one point.

Neville had gotten a Toad, seeing as it took the least effort to keep alive and with the rest of his birthday bought assorted seeds that caught his eye. Hymn had gotten him a few books and plants, while Harry had simply gotten him a nice tray to plant his 'demon plants'.

Hymn had gotten a fair array of potions ingredients, most of which weren't on their list but for her own private stock. She ended up buying a midnight black Kneazle kitten, who had quickly taken to resting in Hymn's pocket. Both boys had gotten her broken things from the Junk shop, Harry a broken hand mirror and Neville a box of powdered rocks. While it didn't seem like a good thing, Hymn liked the items for unknown reasons.

All three would remember it as a fairly nice and quiet birthday, something they wouldn't experience again for years.


	2. Chapter 2

August went by surprisingly fast for the three friends.

Harry spent his nights between the Longbottom and Cassidy households. The Dursley's had (loudly and publicly) kicked Harry out for being a freak the night they'd come back from shopping for school supplies.

Hymn, who would swear it was accidental magic, dropped an oversized flower pot from her window across the yard over Vernon's head when he tried hitting Harry with a radio. After that Aunt Justice and Augusta hadn't questioned Harry's almost constant presence in their houses.

In their later adulthood, the three (current) eleven year olds would find out that Dumbledore had sent a letters demanding Harry be sent back to number 4 Drive, and the strong (and slightly nasty) women had responded with words that would cause lesser women (Molly Weasley) to blush.

It was in this month Harry and Hymn got their first flying lesson from Madam Hooch (who was old friend of Augusta, who owed her a favor), Neville had promptly fell of his broom and into a bush so they hadn't really counted it as a lesson. The Long Bottom hadn't minded all that much, if at all, and instead took to learning every rule there was on the sport. Not matter how ridiculous or obscure they were.

Before they knew it, it was September 1, and they were standing at platform 9 ¾ at exactly 10:55. Aunt Justice and Augusta hadn't stayed long, or at all, but gave each of the three their respective tickets and the parting words of 'Don't screw everything up'.

While the red train seemed fairly large, it quickly became clear that finding an empty compartment for them to sit in would be next to impossible with near one thousand passengers.

"Can we sit here?" Harry asked a group in one of the least crowded compartments. "Everywhere else seems to be completely filled."

"We're pretty full ourselves." One red headed boy said dully, ignoring Hymns raised eyebrow, as he spread his legs across a seat. Their was only five people in the compartment compared to the other compartments that housed at least nine, three of which were red head brothers (and two of them seemed to be twins), a curly brown haired girl, and a boy wearing a Quidditch shirt. "Can't you find somewhere else?"

"I haven't got anyone," A tall boy with curly brown hair offered suddenly from a compartment three down the row. Shining a bright caring smile at the group of first years, easily calmed the growing annoyance in the air. "Besides if you sit with the Weasley twins, chances are you won't get off the train intact."

'More like they won't be left intact.' Hymn thought silently, and by the way her two best friends were hiding snickers in their shirt sleeves they were having a similar train of thought.

The young Cassidy didn't have a patience for people (trying) to harm her or people she considered friends. Their was a time when she'd hit Dudley upside the head with a tree branch, it was long enough ago that she couldn't remember whose 'Honor' she had been defending. Best guess is Harry's, but all that really stood out about the day was the whining and hospital visits that fallowed.

"Oh, come on Pretty-Boy! We were just going to have a bit of fun with them." One of the twins joked, but all laughing stopped when Hymn simply flipped them off before enter their apartment. "Interesting girl, I hope she's sorted into Slytherin. Imagine the pranks we could pull."

"Don't mind them, they're mostly harmless." The boy explained as they four of them settled into their comfortable compartments. "I'm Cedric Diggory, third year Hufflepuff."

"I'm Neville Longbottom."

"Harry Potter."

"Really?" Cedric asked. Blinking a few times as Harry showed him the lighting bolt shaped scar on his head. Though Augusta had once told them it wasn't a lighting bolt, but the movement of the wand used for the Third Unforgivable Curse. "So you really defeated ...You-Know-Who?"

"Voldemort." Neville supplied quietly. "We've been told that our parents didn't fight and give their lives for people to still be scared of a name."

Harry nodded at Neville's answer before returning to Cedric's previous question "Apparently, but I wasn't more than two years old, so I can't really tell you how or if it was really me."

Cedric gave an airy laugh that made the first year's jump slightly, "You three really are something else. Flipping off the Weasley twins, using his name, and defeating him. Sounds like you'll be In Gryffindor by nightfall if you ask me. I'm on okay terms with their Perfect, remind me and I'll introduce you to him."

"Speaking of him." Harry laughed a little at his own joke. "This is our best mate Hymn Cassidy, our resident mute and know it all."

"It's nice to meet you."

Hymn lessened as the three boys talk about quidditch for about an hour, not really caring much about the conversation (at least not now because she did love quidditch) but instead more focused on what it would be like to finally meet her father.

She wondered if he'd like her, or at least finally acknowledge her.

It hurt to know that he'd only come to see her a total of seven times in her entire life. Aunt Justyce, in one of her few motherly moments, had explain that he did love her it was just hard for him to be a father of a child conceived due to a-Love Potion.

She was only alive because of a stupid love potion, only because her 'mother' had a weird hero worship of Snap and had slipped the pink potion into him wine. He hadn't wanted her, and in the end no one had actually wanted Hymn.

"-have you seen Trevor, Hymn?"

Hymn raised a single eyebrow, snapping quickly out of her thoughts as she noted the three boys had practically already turned the compartment upside down looking for the toad. Cedric was the one to meet her eyes, and by accident he was the one who felt how she did 'unknowing'.

"I don't think she knows." Cedric said hesitantly, backing up and almost falling on top of Neville who was bent over looking under the seat." How did you?"

"Cool isn't it?" Harry asked, sharing a bemused look with Neville "She was taken to a healer when she was younger, they can't say for sure but they think Hymn's magic manifested into the ability to convey emotions through eye contact. Probably when she first became mute."

"So…" Cedric cleared his throat forcefully, breaking the long eye contact between him and Hymn. "This toad, let's check around for it. I'll ask the older kids, seventh through third. You three ask the second and first years. You'll finish before me so why don't you change into your robes when you get back, we'll be to school in less than and hour."

Cedric left so quickly that none of them (or at least Neville and Harry) had a chance to mention that he hadn't taken his own robes to change into after. They also had no idea of knowing who was a second and first year were.

So the three changed, the boys looking away as Hymn changed into her uniform. Neville found his toad...in it's shoe box, and they couldn't find Cedric (but admittedly they didn't actually look). When the Candy Trolley came around they each bought one of everything and paid. The Lady then handed Hymn an extra Chocolate frog, explaining that a teacher had paid her in advance for it.

"Is it from you father?" Neville asked

Shaking her head slightly, Hymn handed the boys a small note that had been carefully attached to the box. The lettering was golden and written in thin hand writting, all it said was 'Your Father can't protect you.'

"I don't think you should eat the frog."

"Really Harry, I think it's safe to assume you won't be in Ravenclaw."


	3. Chapter 3

"You three look very magical!" Hagrid exclaimed happily, a warm feeling spreading in his chest at the grins the three shared with him before walking over to him when they got off the train. "You lot are going with the first years on the boats. It's four to a boat so you might need to wait for someone before leaving."

"We'll wait for you." Harry stated, pulling both his friend to his side behind the half giant. "I think we've caused enough trouble, it probably best not to try meeting new people yet."

"The Weasley twins set a firework off in our compartment, almost took Harry's eye out and really hurt Hymn's ears. Made me lose my toad again, weird little green demon that thing is." Neville shook his head thoughtfully, ignoring (or not noticing) the look of exasperation Harry and Hymn quietly shared beside him. " Anyways while I was helping Harry get something out of his eyes, Hymn decided the Weasley twins weren't going to get away with it messing with us. She already had some potion made in her trunk, probably from when she was practicing brewing at home, so before we got off the train she broke the vial open in the twins compartments. Caused six people to turn green, and I know for a fact at least three of them were first years."

The four piled onto a boat as the very last of the first years (excluding the three with Hagrid) started drifting towards Hogwarts. "We'll as a employing of the school I doubt I'm aloud to condone such behavior...but those two needed to be taken down a could of pegs. Glad someone finally did it."

Hymn nodded, but looked off put at the water they were floating in and at each rock of the boat turned a deeper shade of green.

"You be okay?"

"She doesn't know how to swim and get's pretty sea sick at times." Harry explained, "Went on this boat ride once and threw up all over my uncle, but that might have been intentional. We can never really tell with her, but she tries to make it a point not to be in boats for a long time."

Hagrid nodded sympathetically as Hymn choked back a gagging sound. Neville, who'd always been a mother hen of the trio, spent most of the boat ride petting Hymn's head after she laid it on his lap for comfort.

~~!~~

'Mrs. Elizabeth Diggory

Diggory House

Ottery St. Catchpole

Dear Mom,

I've reached Hogwarts safely, whole and in one piece.

I'm not sure if you know this or not, but Harry Potter is a first year now. I meet him on the train along with his two closest mates Neville Longbottom and Hymn Cassidy.I think we've meet Neville before at one of the Malfoy's Christmas balls, though he usually just stands behind his grandmother and stays silent.

I would have never guessed it but he's rather brave, he and Harry used He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named actual name while we were talking. I'm sure Hymn would have used it to, but he's a mute with a really strange ability to look deep into your eyes and make you feel what he's feeling. He used it on me, by accident, and I felt like I was actually him for a second.

I must have given the wrong impression when I left our compartment, right after he used it, because he's been avoiding making any kind of eye contact with me now. I'll make a point to sort that out later.

Also their sorting was interesting to say the least. First they walked in with the Half-Giant Groundskeeper, who they are apparently on friendly terms with my how easily they talked. Then I found out that after I left to search for Neville's toad (He'd lost it), the Weasley Twins set off a firework in our compartment and in retaliation Hymn dropped a potion that caused everyone's skin to turn green in the twins apartment. So three first years had to be sorted with lime green skin, something they didn't seem too pleased about.

So Neville was the first to be sorted out of the three, and within seconds got sorted into Hufflepuff. I can't even begin to explain the look he shared with Harry and Hymn, the three had probably been dreading the idea of not being placed together for years.

Harry was next, I would have put all my money on him being a Golden Lion, but after about five slow minutes he was placed in Hufflepuff too. Surprising isn't it?

But that's not even the weirdest thing, Hymn who apparently had the last name Snape-Cassidy (as in the son of Professor Snape) was one of the last to be sorted. Except before he could even sit down a toad jumped onto the seat, Neville's lost toad, and before anyone could blink Hymn grabbed it and licked it. Which was both gross and hilarious. The hat hadn't even been set on his head, before it started screamed Hufflepuff.

I've can't believe so much has happened before classes have even started.

I promise to keep you up to date. I love you, the girls, and Dad.

Keep Safe,

Cedric


	4. Chapter 4

Yet again it was a scream that jarred Hymn Cassidy out of bed, during the latest hours of September 1 1991. To her immediate relief she could vaguely make out Neville and Harry tiered silhouette sitting up on either side of her.

Suddenly one of Harry's cold hands traced carefully down Hymn's left checks, frowning into the darkness when he felt wet tears running down her cheeks. Frowning Hymn whipped at her cheeks in frustration, she hadn't even realized she'd been crying silently in her sleep.

"You guys heard that right," Neville asked, scrambling quietly into Hymn's bed. Mentally marking tonight as the fourth night in a row Hymn had been crying in her sleep. "T-That scary scream...coming somewhere from deep within creepy and drafty castle we're going to be living in for the next seven years."

"We should probably go see what it was…" Harry mumbled, snuggling deeply into Neville's side, as all three children stayed motionless as stones in Hymn's small bed.

Slowly thirty minutes passed, lulling the three friends into an uneasy half asleep once it was clear none of them were willing to go investigate. Than suddenly around the thirty-five minute mark, Neville was keeping track of the minutes by the ticking of a clock somewhere down the winding stairs, their door burst open in a giant gust and send all three hiding in different degrees of terror.

Neville was the one most obviously frightened, hiding somewhere under Hymn's bed, shaking violently enough to actually stir Rat (Hymn's black kitten) from her deep sleep. Harry fared better when it came to keeping some level of composure, but did end up hiding behind one of the yellow curtains. It was Hymn who kept her composure completely intact, managing a draw a completely passive look excluding her pale eyes that were wide open in plain fright. Whether it was fear or courage that kept her perched casually on the bed no one would ever know, because she would never admit it to anyone even on her deathbed.

Still nothing came, or more specifically the three didn't see anything but they did find three chocolate frogs placed in a line in front of their door the next morning. It was agreed that they would not eat them -because Harry someone has already sent one death threat with a frog attached- and they prepared for their first day of classes.

It was strange and ceril for each of them at first, seeing themselves dresses in their houses yellow and black robes for the first time.

Hymn can honestly say she never imagined being in any house other than Slytherin, and she highly doubted she belonged in Hufflepuff (or any other house) or would have been assigned to the house if she hadn't licked Trevor. Yet if it meant being with her 'brothers' she was willing to be a snake disguised as a badger for the next seven years.

Harry had to practically scream at the Sorting Hat to place him in Hufflepuff with Nevil. He always saw himself dressed in Slytherin green or Gryffindor red when he'd envisioned his time at Hogwarts, but he hated the idea of leaving Neville alone in a house -because Harry swore Hymn wouldn't be placed anywhere else but Slytherin, no matter how much she argued- even if it is the 'nice' house.

Neville, who was obviously the only one of the three who truly belonged, had been disappointed at first that he wouldn't be with his friends but was happily surprised that they had actually followed him. He had always doubted his Grandmother's claims that he'd be a regular Gryffindor, he was much to patient and just for the house of lions.

The three had gotten up early, almost three whole hours before their first class, to go explore their new home and to find Hymn's father. What they didn't expect to find when they walked into the common room was Professor Sprout, Hymn's Father, and Hagrid quietly sipping tea on one of the couches.

"Hymn." Snape said shortly, acknowledging his daughter with a short nod of his head. "You look well."

Hymn nodded her head in a similar fashion, hesitating ever so slightly before taking a seat next to her father on the couch. Neville and Harry followed the girls lead, obviously as uncomfortable as their friend being in the presence of her father.

Sprout cleared her throat to lighten the mood, "Augusta sent a letter ahead informing me you three were early risers, I thought we'd all take sometime getting to know each other. Hagrid had told you three had meet, so I thought you'd like him to come."

"I brought you each some chocolate from Hogsmeade." The half giant explained with a grin, handing each a bag of treats. "I got you all something a bit different so you could share."

"Thanks!"

"You're the best, Hagrid."

'I like chocolate.'

Sprout and Hagrid couldn't hide their amusement as the three friends happily went through the bags of chocolate with excitement. The grounds keeper silently noted how each of the friends eyes light up and swore to himself to bring more sweets just to bring that light back to their eyes.

Snape, who was as/if not more uncomfortable around Hymn as she was around him, just watched as the three eased into conversations with the two other adults. He decided that this is how he'd remember Hymn and her friends from this moment on, carefree and happy. He also hoped that's how the three stayed

Despite how see looked on the outside, Hymn felt something silently break inside her as she realized that Snape would never care for her like a father should. Neville and Harry noticed the slight changed in their friend, and swore to help her through any pain that came.

Ironically, Hymn realized that the day she expected she'd never have a normal relationship with her father is the day their relationship greatly improved. She became a student to him, one of his favorites and he genuinely wanted to see her achieve greatness. In a way they even started understanding each other.

It was also the day Aunt Justice sent a howler to Snape threatening castration if he so much as looked at Hymn the wrong way. She later sent two more warning him to not to treat Neville and Harry badly either, followed by a very passive aggressive note from Augusta threatening bodily harm if he hurt any of her cute grandchildren.


	5. Chapter 5

'This can't be normal, if she wasn't a Hufflepuff I'd actually think she wants something.' Hymn thought, as she watched Professor Sprout talked endlessly about the benefits of using 'Dragon Snout' to keep bugs away from healing plants with Neville. The witch had practically dragged three students to the kitchen after their 'meeting', which only consisted of eating chocolate from Hagrid and getting extra potions textbooks from her father, stating that breakfast wasn't due to start for another hour and they could us the time to get to know one another. 'I guess it's to be expected, Harry is the 'Boy-who-lived' and Neville could have just as easily been the same."

"I'd like to ask you three a question about your future plans Miss. Cassidy."

Harry and Neville started, surprised by Professor's sudden change in topic and looked towards their sole female. The should-have-been-Slytherin appeared to be indifferent but both boys could see the way her lavender hardened, even if only slightly, while she sized up the Professor.

"It didn't go unnoticed that the three of you are all set up in one of the male dorms." Hymn's face visibly fell, causing everyone in the kitchen (even the house elves) to feel a swell of sadness. "Don't look to disheartened , I haven't decided yet if I'll allow it to continue or not. I also couldn't help but notice the official paperwork sent into the school had you marked down as male. The only ones who seem to know your actual gender on staff are myself, Hagrid, your father, Madam Hooch, Headmaster, and Madam Pomfrey. I myself probably wouldn't have know if not for a letter from your Aunt. Do you think, YOU might be able to fill me in on this Miss. Cassidy."

'Please understand.' Hymn thought frantically, and felt her magical confidence falter when the plump women look at her with concern black eyes. Glumly excepting the black bond journal Neville offered her. 'What do you know?'

Sprout read the simple sentence three times before answering. "I can't say, I know very much dear. I know you can't, or won't, speak and your magical guardian is your Justice Cassidy."

Hymn nodded, thinking of anything important that her head of house should really know about her. After quickly deciding on a few things, the girl handed the professor the notebook with the facts quickly scribbled down.

'My full name is Hymn Lily Snape-Cassidy, but my father sometimes calls me Hadrian. I can't speak, but can convey emotions by looking people in the eyes, it's typically easier with people I'm around often. Neville and Harry say they can practically hear my thoughts as if I was actually saying the words to them. I'm also my father's heir, I'll eventually be Lord Snape just like he is.'

"Interesting as that is, it doesn't explain why you've been registered as a male student."

"Justice didn't wants Hymn to get the best education possible, as long as possibly." Neville explained, his face turning as red as a tomato for talking out of turn in front of a teacher. "Hymn's Aunt, Justice, believes Wizards are given better education than Witches. They're usually expected to take soft subjects of sorts and eventually stay at home with the children. Come hell or heaven, Justice wants Hymn to have any career opportunity she wants in the future."

Professor Sprout looked thoughtful for a second, she'd never considered how one's gender might limit her students in the future. "Here is the deal, I won't tell anyone but I also won't lie. Still, I'll only allow this till your third year. After that most of your classes will be set in stone anyways, so your gender won't matter. Do you three understand?"

"Yes."

"Uhn."

'Sure.'

"Except if I think for a minute there is anything going on in that room, I will have your Aunt and Grandmother here quicker than any of you can say 'please'.

'Holy crap, she just went from Hagrid to Augustus in less than a second. What did we get ourselves into, are all Hufflepuffs like this.'


	6. Chapter 6

The Hufflepuff trio's first month at Hogwarts turned into hell rather quickly.

(Thought, each new better than to actually tell their guardians because neither Augustus or Aunt Justice would hesitate to pull them out of school and start homeschooling. So all the letters sent home were rather short and talked about how amazing school was. Needless to say, neither of the grown witches actually believed them and Dumbledore ((and Professor McGonagall)) received threatening Howlers.)

For everyone at the school that is.

Hymn, who refused to apologize for/admit to throwing the potion at the twins, had started one of the worst prank wars that the castle had seen since the likes of the Marauders and Snape walk the halls.

The Weasley twins came at the trio with all they possibly had, probably thinking it would be easy to attack the three first years. They were wrong.

The group of bumblebee first years was just/ if not more paranoid than the likes of Head Aurora Alastor Moody, and the student body quickly decided they were just as insane.

They knew every possible thing that could go wrong at every given moment no matter how unlikely and were well prepared to avoid everything. Willing to skip class no matter the punishment, push through a crowded hall not caring who has pushed aside, or run as if their life depended on it (because at some point it very well might).

Do to the three's commendable dodging skills, the Weasley twins hadn't managed to prank them once but had managed to prank the rest of the student body at some point or another on accident.

Eventually, after a week of wasting some of their best supplies, George and Fred decided to try and prank the slippery first years during Potions. In their mind, no one was willing to run out of Snape's class, not even his son, the boy who lived, or their bloody mental friends.

It had taken work, but the prank was set up and two were hidden in one of the potions closet waiting for the perfect moment to set it off. Not caring that the prank would get everyone in the room, including the innocent bystanders and themselves.

Yet, while starting the base for a foul 'boiling boil portion' a pair of pale lavender eyes noticed the carefully hidden rope. Without so much as an utter between them Neville, Hymn, and Harry ran out of the dungeon classroom as if the fire was licking their heels. Never acknowledging Snape's angry screams (except for a single snide comment) that followed them ("Maybe if you'd actually been a father to Hymn we'd lesson, you greasy git." -Harry), or caring about the loss of twenty-five house points as they scrambled towards the kitchen.

Needless to say, Fred and George lost their own house a one-hundred and fifty points for skipping class, covering the potions master in a green extra-strength itching powder, covering at thirty-first year Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw students in the same powder, causing fifteen boiling cauldrons to explode, and disrupting a lesson. No one was willing to say it, but everyone also thought some of the points taken might have been because Snape was simply pissed Hymn completely ignored him.

After that, named by future generations as 'Reson 1. The Obsidian Trio is smarter than you', a group of Hufflepuff third year boys decided that the -rather one-sided- prank war was unfair due to the twins obvious two-year advantage on the 'innocent first years'. So a group of about seven boys retaliated with an invisibility charm that left the twins in only their underwear.

By week three a full blown war had begun between ever male (and a select few female) third years and the first year trio. As if it wasn't hard enough avoiding the red heads the group now had to avoid every third year. Professor Sprout debated filing a missing person's report after no one saw the group after three days, only to find they'd been hiding in the Hospital wing being treated for (violent) panic attacks.

Cedric, who wasn't a part of the prank war, couldn't get close enough to Hymn to apologize and hopeful become friends. Leading him to storm into a faculty meeting close to tears demanding to know where Hymn could be hiding, actually, distract at the mere thought of someone thinking he was cruel enough to discriminate because of a disability.

(The Cedric/Hymn Dating betting pool started not minutes after he left. Snape never looked more constipated in his entire life but did end up placing a month's salary on the two getting together the summer after Hymn's third year. McGonagall, who didn't like the idea of two boys dating, berated the pool and wrote to Justice Cassidy in disgust. She received four, loud and long, howlers in retaliation stating Justice wouldn't give a 'your bold cat ass' if she was gay as long as she was happy and placing her own bet.)

The war only ended on the fourth week because some unknown people, Harry and Hymn, had managed to steal (Hymn) and hide (Harry) every third year's wand in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom during the night. Both promising to visit regularly as long as the poltergeist didn't tell anyone they'd done it and berated each student who had to come gather their wands that morning. All the rather embarrassed third years called an unspoken truce after that dreadful mortifying morning.

Also, if everyone in the castle suddenly held their bags closer to themselves when one of the three walked by, well that's neither here nor there. It was also stupid because Hymn could still probably steal anything she liked off of them no matter how close they held that bag.

To say Hymn and Harry were still on edge even after the truce would be an understatement, and poor Neville was prone to having (close to) mental breakdown whenever he saw even a stand of orange hair. Innocent Susan Bones had to start wearing a hat just to be in classes with her housemates, and classes with Ron were boycotted by the three.

Leaving all the third years (no matter the house) feeling rather guilty, seeing how traumatized the three were, still jumping and hiding at the thought of any third year, reminded everyone just how screwed up their childhoods must have been.

Harry, the boy who lived, who everyone suspected had been abused and beaten regularly (and confirmed by the 'Daily Profit' not a week after school started quoting information from a reliable squib from the family's block). Despite no proof, people couldn't help but believe that Hymn and Neville might have also been abused both emotionally and mentally.

(When someone actually asked them years later, Neville ended up punking the reporter so hard in the face he broke the man's nose, jaw, and teeth.)

Finally, Professor Sprout had enough and asked Hymn, Neville, Harry, Hagrid, and Cedric to greenhouse six during dinner one night. Ready and prepared to solve every problem or die trying.

"Um...Professor, what is it you want from us?" Harry asked.

Neville looked around completely fascinated by the fifth year level plants surrounding him, silently squealing like a pig when he recognized a rather rare type of flower. Carefully, the boy examined each plant he could see only half listening to the conversations around him.

Harry and Hymn were looking at some roses along with Hagrid and Cedric.

"I'm going to give you something I believe will help with your anxiety, now I've passed with Madam Pomfrey, it should help curb some of the paranoia the three of you have. We've decided the amount of stress the three of you feel can't be health, now here you go." Sprout said firmly as she handed Harry a medium sized box filled with herbs. "I ask you don't share it and hide it in your dorm."

"This is marijuana." Neville swacked finally looking up from the plants surrounding him, causing both adults and Cedric to look at him suspiciously. "Oh back off, this is the 90's we'd have to live under a rock not to know what marijuana is after growing up in boring Sury."

"You can't be serious about this professor," Cedric said, ignoring the cautious look Hymn seemed to give him every few minutes. "This is a school and they're only eleven years old."

"I've cleared this with Madam Pomfrey and the proper guardian (at least the ones who cared) . I can assure you Mr. Diggory, none of us wish to see one of them have a heart attack at the age of sixteen. I've cleared a place in the greenhouse where they'll be expected to grow what they need."

"I's be making sure no other animals or students get into the greenhouse but them. I got a pretty pass from the Ministry making sure was okay. All of them were cleared because of PTSD, is to be expected with what they've all been through."

'I'd like to know what you think we've been through.' Hymn thought dryly, still examining the white roses in front of her carefully. Not caring enough to actually project any thoughts to Harry or Neville 'They're rather pretty.'

"Okay." Professor Sprout said cheerfully after a long minute of silence clapping her dirt covered hands together. "Harry and Neville will be going back to the feist with Hagrid and I, I'll be locking Cedric and Hymn in this greenhouse for however long it takes them to get along. Everyone understand."

"Professor!"

'Excuse me?'

Neville and Harry shared a discreet look between just the two of them, it didn't take looking Hymn in the eyes to know what she was thinking. Yet, neither could deny it wouldn't hurt her to talk with Cedric and he seemed like he really wanted to talk to Hymn even if he didn't seem to want to be locked in the greenhouse.

Hymn could only watch in dismay as her brothers practically ran to the great hall without so much as a backward glance. 'Traitors.' Cedric could only watch as Professor Sprout magically locked the door behind herself and Hagrid.


End file.
